Lesson plans

Common Core State StandardL.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: Video of a current news event is presented for discussion to encourage student participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the video. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support.

09/06/2010

NASA to Send Probe into Sun

NASA hopes to launch an $18 million unmanned spacecraft into the sun's core by 2018. Scientists hope the data it collects will provide better understanding of the sun's environment and its effects on Earth.

Class discussion: According to Discovery News: "Various incarnations of Solar Probe Plus have been at the top of solar physicists' wish lists for more than 50 years, but until recently the technical problems exceeded the available budget to solve them."
Do these types of space experiments hold any interest for you? Why or why not?